Mounting structure for toilet bowl or the like

ABSTRACT

Covers the combination of a toilet bowl and an anchor plate for mounting the toilet bowl on the floor of a room. The underside of the toilet bowl is provided with two tapered lugs or other projections which are to receive two corresponding projections of the anchor plate. The structure enables the toilet bowl to be adjusted in its relative position with respect to the anchor plate so that the bowl may be slid or moved, within predetermined limits, to meet the rear wall of the room where the bowl may be attached and held firmly against the anchor plate and against the floor.

Unite States atertt Stairs Aug. 1, 1972 [54] MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR TOILET FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS B0 OR THE LIKE 96,685 8/1963 Denmark ..4 252 [72] Inventor: Henry Marshall Stairs, Louisville, 530,395 7/1955 Italy ..4/252 Ky. 530,704 7/1955 Italy 4/252 [73] Ass1gnee: zrzerican Standard Inc., New York, Primary Examiner prederick L. Matteson Assistant Examiner-Donald R. Massenberg [22] Filed: Sept. 2, 1970 Attorney-Jefferson Ehrlich, Tennes l Erstad and 21 Appl. No.: 68,831 Robe" Crooks [57] ABSTRACT Covers the combination Ofa toilet bowl and an anchor [58] Fie'ld 10 252 R plate for mounting the toilet bowl on the floor of a room. The underside of the toilet bowl is provided [56] References Cited with two tapered lugs or other pro ections Wl'lICh are to receive two corresponding PIOJCCUOI'IS of the UNITED STATES PATENTS anchor plate. The structure enables the toilet bowl to be adjusted in its relative position with respect to the 3,148,379 9/1964 Muller ..4/252 anchor plate so that the bow] may be slid or moved, 3,440,670 4/1969 Van HOOf 4/252 within predetermined limits, to meet the rear wall f 928,523 7/1909 Kelly the room where the bowl y be attached d l 1,130,046 3/1915 Watrous ..4/252 firmly against the anchor plat and against the floor. 3,323,143 6/1967 Pope ..4/252 3,334,362 8/1967 Muller ..4/252 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMIG 1 I972 sum 1 0r 2 FIG'.

m ms MM m m E H AT TORN EY PATENTEDAUQ 1 I972 SHEET 2 BF 2 FIG.3

ZxF l 6.4

FIG.6

INVENTOR HENRY M. STAIRS ATTORNEY MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR TOILET BOWL OR THE LIKE This invention relates to toilet bowls and to means for mounting and for holding toilet bowls on and against the floors of bathrooms. The invention is especially applicable to toilet bowls having rear discharge openings leading to the sewer system.

In conventional toilet bowl installations, especially of the so-called vitreous china types, each toilet bowl usually has a flanged base having two or more apertures through which conventional attachment mechanism, each usually in the form of a bolt and a nut, may be applied for firmly holding and retaining the toilet bowl affixed to the bathroom floor. Conventional gripping mechanism for holding and retaining the toilet bowl fastened to the floor includes, in addition to the bolts which are inserted into the apertures in the flanged base of the bowl and the appropriate nuts for holding the bowl in position with respect to the bolts, two corresponding spring retainers which are respectively held between the nuts and the bolts and serve to position and hold caps for covering and concealing the clips and the retainer bolts and nuts. The caps are usually supplied to conceal the bolts and nuts and to present a finished appearance to the bowl and the caps would have a color which matches the color of the bowl.

The conventional parts used for holding the toilet bowl affixed to the floor as above noted are too numerous and too costly and too difficult to install properly. Moreover, they usually require considerable time of a plumber to make the installation. Furthermore, each cap is subject to breakage and, therefore, may require replacement and this may be difficult to achieve, especially if the prior color scheme of the toilet bowl is to be preserved. Furthermore, each cap frequently collects dust and dirt and hence mars the appearance of the toilet bowl besides constituting a barrier and a nuisance.

Accordingly, it is one of the primary objects of this invention to provide a simplified form of structure for mounting and retaining a toilet bowl affixed to the floor of a bathroom.

It is another object of this invention to provide a toilet bowl mounting mechanism which will be relatively simple and easy to install and low in cost.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a combination toilet bowl construction and mounting plate mechanism which will eliminate the conventional caps usually provided for concealing the bolts and nuts, so that there will be no need for cleaning the caps or for replacing the caps from time to time. Hence, by omitting the caps, an important collector of dust and dirt at the base of the toilet bowl will be eliminated.

Briefly, this invention resides in modifying the underside of a toilet bowl so that it may embody two (or more) projections, the projections to be received by the corresponding projections of an underlying anchor plate which may be preliminarily affixed to the floor by, for example, screws or bolts of any well known type. The projections of the anchor plate will be held by the corresponding projections on the underside of the toilet bowl after the bowl is initially mounted in place. Notwithstanding the initial positioning of the bowl over the mounting plate, the structure of the mounting plate is such that the position of the mounting plate may be adjusted with respect to the rear wall. Moreover, the

structure of the projections of the toilet bowl with respect to the corresponding projections of the mounting plate are also adjustable in their relative positions to change, by a limited amount, the location of the bowl with respect to the mounting plate and with respect to the rear wall against which the bowl may be supported. By virtue of the combination structures of this invention, the toilet bowl may be quickly mounted on the floor and yet may be easily adjusted in its position relative to the floor so that the bowl may be assigned to its final position and firmly held against the floor. Additionally, there will be no projections from the base flange or flanges of the bowl and hence there will be no cap or similar device for the collection of dust and dirt and other debris at or near the base of the bowl.

This invention and its objects and features will be better and more clearly understood from the following description and explanation, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 shows an exploded or expanded perspective view of the invention, especially illustrating the mounting plate;

FIG. 2 shows another perspective of the toilet bowl structure after it is installed in place;

FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of the mounting plate of this invention;

FIG. 4 depicts a front view of the mounting plate of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates an underside plan view of the base of the toilet bowl, shown fragmentally, when the bowl is constructed according to this invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates fragmentally a cross-sectional view of the combination combination of the toilet bowl base and the mounting plate. The same reference characters will be employed throughout the drawing to illustrate the same or similar parts wherever they may occur throughout the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, a toilet bowl WC is shown which may be, for example, of the rear outlet type as distinguished from the floor outlet type, so that the bowl will be discharged through a rear outlet to the sewer system and not via a floor outlet. A conventional bowl of the rear outlet type is readily available in the market place. The toilet bowl WC is shown in an exploded or expanded view in FIG. I, where it is spaced from the rear wall WL prior to installation, and in its final or installed position in FIG. 2 where it is affixed to the rear wall WL and may be equippedwith a conventional water closet tank or a conventional flushometer FL, as shown in FIG. 2.

The underside US of the toilet bowl WC may be in the form of a hollow rectangular or trapezoidal cavity which is somewhat elongated as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing. However, the underside US of bowl WC embodies two spaced projections, both of which are designated PR1 and are similar in shape and extend from opposite sides of the underside US, as shown in FIG. 2. The two projections RPl may be sloped at an angle of about 30 with respect to the floor, as may be seen more clearly in FIG. 6.

The anchor plate AP is provided with two similar openings each designated OP which may be equally spaced from, and parallel to, the center line CL of the anchor plate AP. The two openings OP may be shaped as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, or the openings OP may have any other suitable shape, such as circular, elliptical, etc. Preferably each of the two openings OP should be substantially semi-circular at its ends, as shown in FIG. 3, and yet have parallel intermediate walls between the two semi-circular ends. Moreover, the anchor plate AP will include two similar but oppositely positioned projections PR2 which are to be formed so as to be closely adjacent to projections PR1 of the underside US of the toilet bowl WC in the installation. Preferably, the projections PR2 should be inclined so that the two projections PR2 are angulated with respect to the center-line CL, the angle of departure L from the center-line CL to be perhaps about 5. At the same time, the projections PR2 of the anchor plate AP are bent so as to be at an angle P which may be about 35 with respect to the plumbline vertical. Hence, when the anchor plate AP is mounted on the floor of the bathroom, its projections PR2 may form angles of about 35 with respect to the plumbline vertical and there may be a corresponding angle of about 5 between projections PR1 of the underside US of the bowl WC and projections PR2 of the anchor plate AP.

The anchor plate AP may be formed of a metal or plastic material of about 2 inches in width. If made of metal, the anchor plate AP may be easily formed by conventional machinery not only to provide the tapered and angulated projections PR2, but also the elongated openings OP which are equally spaced from the center-line CL. For example, the median lines of the openings OP may be about 1 inches from the center-line CL. The overall length of the openings OP may be about 1 inch and the openings may be about one half inch wide. Hence, the radius of the ends of the openings OP may be about one quarter inch.

When it is desired to install a toilet bowl WC in the bathroom, a center-line CL may be drawn on the floor to correspond approximately to the mid-position of the bowl WC with respect to the floor when the installation is to be completed. The center-line CL of the anchor plate AP will be roughly located against the proposed or expected mid-position of the toilet bowl WC and spaced from the wall WL so that the bowl will rest at a distance equal to, or somewhat less than, its final position on the floor. Two screws or bolts BT each provided with a washer (not shown) will then be inserted into the respective openings OP so as to initially hold anchor plate AP against the floor. The screws or bolts BT will not be tightened against the floor, but preferably they will be loosened by about one full thread in order to enable the installer to make final adjustment in the anchor plate AP if desired or necessary.

The toilet bowl WC will then be superposed over the anchor plate AP with its center position corresponding approximately with the center-line CL of the anchor plate AP. When the bowl WC is in its center position over plate AP, it may be slid toward the wall WL so that the two back ends of the projections PR1 on the underside US of the bowl WC may contact and engage with the two corresponding back ends or projections PR2 of the anchor plate AP. The tapers L, as already explained, permit of adjustments of the bowl WC' with respect to the anchor plate AP as may be desired.

Thus, the installer may easily change the relative position of the bowl WC by sliding it toward the wall WL and to the left or right, as desired, after the bowl WC contacts the wall WL. Thus, these are important available adjustments for the installer in setting the bowl WC into its final position against the wall WL. One of these adjustments is based upon the elongation and extended width of the two openings OP of the anchor plate AP which permits the anchor plate AP to be moved relative to the screws or bolts BT inserted therethrough. Another adjustment is based upon the slideability of the toilet bowl WC over the anchor plate AP due to the difference in the slopes of the respective projections PR] and PR2 of the underside of the bowl WC and the anchor plate AP. Still another adjustment is based upon the slideability of the toilet bowl WC over the, anchor plate AP due to the difference in the angles of the respective projections PR] and PR2 on the underside of the bowl WC and on the anchor plate AP. These adjustments can quickly be made by a relatively unskilled mechanic.

Additional holding means, such as screws or bolts (not shown), may also be inserted through wall flanges of the toilet bowl for additionally afiixing the toilet bowl WC to the wall WL of the room. In any case, how ever, the bowl WC will be firmly grasped against the floor and retained without any exposed floor bolts or screws or cover caps.

By dispensing with the exposed caps over the floor bolts which the caps are intended to conceal, the appearance of the-bowl will be considerably improved. By

omitting the caps and much of the related mounting hardware, the bowl WC may be more easily cleaned and maintained in a clean condition. The installation is simply performed with a considerable saving in time and with the downgrading of the skill or experience required for making the installation. Equally importantly, the number of parts will be reduced and necessarily the cost of the parts for the installation will be appreciably lessened.

While the construction above referred to is espe-,

cially suitable for a rear outlet type of toilet bowl, it will be apparent that the same sort of construction is readily applicable to other types of toilet bowls and other forms of plumbing fixtures, such as bidets.

While this invention has been shown and described in particular arrangements merely for illustration and explanation, it will be readily apparent that the invention may be widely varied without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of a floor-mountable toilet bowl having a lower support base with a substantially planar bottom mounting surface provided with an opening on the under-side of said bottom surface having two substantially similar symmetrical projections extending inwardly from the under side and equally spaced from and substantially midway along the center-line of the toilet bowl, and a non-flexible anchor plate which is formed so that it has two'corresponding symmetrical projections which extend outwardly from the anchor plate and which are capable of contacting the two projections on the under-side of the bowl, the anchor plate having a plurality of openings through which fasteners may be inserted to fasten the anchor plate to the floor so that the anchor plate will firmly hold the toilet bowl in an immovable position against the floor.

2. The combination recited in claim 1, in which the projections of the toilet bowl make equal but opposite angles with the floor, each angle being slightly different from the angle made by the corresponding projections of the anchor plate with the floor.

3. The combination recited in claim 2, in which the projections of the anchor plate are inclined with respect to the center-line of the toilet bowl.

4. The combination recited in claim 3, in which the anchor plate has elongated apertures which are parallel to the center-line of the bowl so that the anchor plate may be moved relative to the fasteners inserted through the apertures and into the floor.

5. The combination of a floor-mountable toilet bowl having a lower support base and means for gripping and firmly holding the toilet bowl immovably against a floor, said means comprising two symmetrical projections extending inwardly on the under-side of the toilet bowl base and which are substantially equally spaced on opposite sides of and substantially midway along the center-line of the toilet bowl, and an inflexible elongated anchor plate affixed to the floor and having a generally planar center section and two corresponding end projections extending outwardly and engagable with the two projections on the under-side of the toilet bowl base when the anchor plate is in its installed position, the two projections on the under-side of the toilet bowl base making substantially equal and opposite angles with respect to the plane of the floor, the two pro- 5 jections on the anchor plate also making substantially equal and opposite angles with the plane of the floor, the angle of the projections on the under-side of the toilet bowl being slightly different from the angle of the projections on the anchor plate, the anchor plate having each projection with a front edge and a back edge, the back edges of the two projections on the anchor plate being spaced further apart than the front edges thereof.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which the angle of 

1. The combination of a floor-mountable toilet bowl having a lower support base with a substantially planar bottom mounting surface provided with an opening on the under-side of said bottom surface having two substantially similar symmetrical projections extending inwardly from the under side and equally spaced from and substantially midway along the center-line of the toilet bowl, and a non-flexible anchor plate which is formed so that it has two corresponding symmetrical projections which extend outwardly from the anchor plate and which are capable of contacting the two projections on the under-side of the bowl, the anchor plate having a plurality of openings through which fasteners may be inserted to fasten the anchor plate to the floor so that the anchor plate will firmly hold the toilet bowl in an immovable position against the floor.
 2. The combination recited in claim 1, in which the projections of the toilet bowl make equal but opposite angles with the floor, each angle being slightly different from the angle made by the corresponding projections of the anchor plate with the floor.
 3. The combination recited in claim 2, in which the projections of the anchor plate are inclined with respect to the center-line of the toilet bowl.
 4. The combination recited in claim 3, in which the anchor plate has elongated apertures which are parallel to the center-line of the bowl so that the anchor plate may be moved relative to the fasteners inserted through the apertures and into the floor.
 5. The combination of a floor-mountable toilet bowl having a lower support base and means for gripping and firmly holding the toilet bowl immovably against a floor, said means comprising two symmetrical projections extending inwardly on the under-side of the toilet bowl base and which are substantially equally spaced on opposite sides of and substantially midway along the center-line of the toilet bowl, and an inflexible elongated ancHor plate affixed to the floor and having a generally planar center section and two corresponding end projections extending outwardly and engagable with the two projections on the under-side of the toilet bowl base when the anchor plate is in its installed position, the two projections on the under-side of the toilet bowl base making substantially equal and opposite angles with respect to the plane of the floor, the two projections on the anchor plate also making substantially equal and opposite angles with the plane of the floor, the angle of the projections on the under-side of the toilet bowl being slightly different from the angle of the projections on the anchor plate, the anchor plate having each projection with a front edge and a back edge, the back edges of the two projections on the anchor plate being spaced further apart than the front edges thereof.
 6. The combination of claim 5 in which the angle of departure of the projections of the anchor plate with respect to a substantially vertical plane through the center-line is small.
 7. The combination recited in claim 5 in which the angle that each projection on the under-side of the bowl makes with the plane of the floor is in a range which is different from the range that each projection on the anchor plate makes with the plane of the floor.
 8. The combination of claim 6, in which the small angle is of the range of 2* to 7*. 